An attempt in progress to compile the most universal movies of all time, the creamiest of the crop, the most rewarding and eternal.
Sharing your assent or dissent, as well as any pertinent info, will be greatly appreciated and cited. The goal is not to make you admire this list. It's to get more people making this kind of list for themselves.

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1936: 4 movies

(Last updated 11 November 2013)

Somewhere in Dreamland

Directed by Dave Fleischer
Produced by Max Fleischer
Music by Murray Mencher
Vocal acting by Mae Questal

Heart-breakingly sweet. It dances on the line between fantasy, reality, tragedy, and comedy in a way that elevates the viewer's state of mind. The artwork and music are first-rate. Beyond that the color and seeming three dimensionality of some of the scenes are breath-taking! One of the best movies ever made, let alone one of the best animated shorts!

Partie de campagne

Written and directed by Jean Renoir

Produced by Pierre Braunberger
Music by Joseph Kosma
Cinematography by Claude Renoir
Editing by Marinette Cadix and Marguerite Renoir

Delicious! It's like an afternoon brandy. It gives off an invigorating rush that one actually senses from being outdoors, which shows inspiration from director Renoir's father the grand Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, but it is an achievement all its own through a concentrated effort in cinematography, editing, music, location, and casting. The fact that such bittersweetness can build-up even amidst strains of comedy and the mundane in under forty minutes is proof of its triumph. Realism and neo-realism have no real beginning but they definitely find a high point here.
The title translates from French to "Day in the Country".

The Cobweb Hotel

Directed by Dave Fleischer
Produced by Max Fleischer
Music by Sammy Timberg

Economic animated suspense movie. Good music and voice acting. There isn't a wrong note in the whole thing. Sexual dynamics are realistic and endearing, as opposed to chauvinistic and trite. Plus, it's infectiously fun like so many of Fleischer's short cartoons are. This one just happens to be one of the greater ones in terms of quality.

The Little Stranger

Directed by Dave Fleischer

Produced by Max Fleischer

Animated by Eli Brucker and Dave Tendlar

Music by Sammy Timberg

This is an adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen story The Ugly Duckling, which Disney had done a pretty good version of five years before. This one shows more backgound, ingenuity, and charm in the character of the odd bird, while the conflict with the villainous crow is terrifying. It exudes an undeniable sense of pride in the individual.